NEHU crisis deepens amid standoff with VC, Rs 300-crore hostel project stalled

NEW DELHI: Around Rs 300 crore, earmarked for building hostels in North Eastern Hill University’s (NEHU) Tura campus, Meghalaya, lie unused. At the time this story was written, the central university headquartered in Shillong, Meghalaya, had until the end of the financial year on March 31 – roughly three weeks – to utilise it, an impossible task.

Hostels are not the only projects on hold. Even regular functions of the university, such as exams and assessments, are hampered. The end-semester exams, which were supposed to be held in December, have now been postponed to March due to the turmoil and protests. This will also delay the next semester’s exams, which means students will suffer academically, and their placements will be affected as well," said a faculty member from the Tura campus requesting anonymity.

Since late last year, NEHU has been engulfed in turmoil – protests by teachers and students, both targeting the current vice-chancellor, Prabha Shankar Shukla. He was compelled to go on leave in November but rejoined, reportedly “remotely” from Delhi, on March 3, setting off a fresh round of conflict.

The union government launched a probe in November and the committee even had its term extended by another 15 days on November 28. Over two months later, no report has been made public. As reports of Shukla’s return spread, the North-Eastern Hill University Students’ Union (NEHUSU) and the Khasi Students' Union (KSU) wrote to education minister Dharmendra Pradhan asking for the report. The government’s silence on the inquiry is not helping matters but drawing the crisis out.

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Shukla did not respond to calls or messages.

NEHU turmoil: Start of conflict

As is often the case with such crises, NEHU’s began much before the winter of 2024.

NEHU has been facing acute hostel shortages and poor campus infrastructure. Into this, Shukla introduced the new National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Faculty members accused him of bypassing the academic council’s (AC) authority and misrepresenting its decisions. The Meghalaya College Teachers’ Association (MCTA) had boycotted first-semester classes, arguing that the university had rushed into NEP and the four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP) it brought without adequate preparation. There were not enough books, trained faculty, or even classrooms to support the transition.

In the October academic council meeting, faculty members expressed their opposition with the teachers’ association, NEHUTA, alleging that the VC pushed through key academic decisions without discussion. There were several questionable administrative decisions too. "I don’t understand why the previous pro-vice-chancellor, G Singhaia, shut down the MBA lab in Tura and moved the history department into that building. When a new department is introduced, new infrastructure should be created instead of accommodating it within an existing one that is already in use," said a professor.

Students were concerned with hostel shortages, poor campus infrastructure, and irregularities in the appointments. Last winter, as protests intensified, they locked the university gates, burnt effigies, and launched an indefinite hunger strike.

Stalled development

With the crisis dragging on and the central government taking no action, a large variety of NEHU’s functions and campus activities are impacted.

A research scholar expressed their growing frustration: "We just want stability in the administration and solutions to our problems. Right now, our classes, exams, and even placements are in jeopardy. We deserve better."

A faculty member from the Tura campus explained, “It is obvious that when a leader or head is absent, a crisis follows. Now, with the financial year ending in March, several development projects have come to a halt. I am from the Tura campus, and the ministry of tribal affairs had sanctioned a significant amount of funds because we are in the tribal belt. However, due to procedural lapses, the money remains unused. Nearly Rs 200-300 crore, which were supposed to be used for building hostel facilities for research scholars, are stuck. Since the permanent VC was on leave and the in-charge VC had limited powers, we could not take immediate decisions. Any decision has to be passed by the executive council, and without leadership, nothing is moving forward. I fear that the funds will be blacklisted or lapsed."

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Several faculty members echoed them saying that bureaucratic delays and leadership gaps have stalled infrastructure development and resource allocation. Student accommodation continues to be a major issue, particularly for research scholars. With no on-campus accommodation, they struggle to find housing, which negatively impacts their studies.

NEHU VC's return

With Shukla on leave, the acting VC was unable to convene key meetings of the academic and executive councils. This prolonged lack of leadership contributed to the university’s stagnation.

On March 3, 2025, VC Shukla resumed his duties, but from Delhi, which sparked fresh controversy. NEHUTA questioned the legitimacy of this move, arguing that a VC cannot resume office remotely without physically returning to the university headquarters in Shillong, Meghalaya. NEHUTA president Lakhon Kma said, "If you are on earned leave, you must return to your station to resume duties. You cannot just join virtually from another location. That is completely unacceptable."

NEHUTA has also raised concerns over the lack of transparency, questioning how the VC could resume office while the inquiry findings against him remain undisclosed. This has further fueled protests, with faculty and students demanding clarity on the matter.

“The student community, along with faculty and non-teaching staff, feels unheard and disregarded,” said the letter from the two student unions, NEHUSU and KSU, to Dharmendra Pradhan. “As the primary stakeholders of the university, students expect transparency and accountability in matters that directly impact their academic environment and welfare. The prolonged silence from the ministry has only deepened the uncertainty and frustration among the students, raising serious concerns about the commitment to resolving these long-standing issues.”